Surviving g
by Callicobra
Summary: In the time since the war, Hogwarts has finally been rebuilt and life for the golden trio has been complicated. After Ron, Hermione thought her life would get better, but after getting some terrible news, she has to focus on surviving. And the person who helps her is none other than Severus Snaps.
1. Chapter 1

The battle at Hogwarts left the golden trio dealing with the loss of so many people that they loved and cared for. This was especially true for Hermione.

Not only had she lost so many of her close friends and people that she looked up to, she had lost her parents after erasing their memory for their own safety, and she had lost any chance of a romantic relationship with Ron.

After she had said that he was like a brother she had never had he wanted nothing to do with her. It made sense, she honestly couldn't blame him, she would probably feel the same if he had said that about her, but it hit her hard.

But at times like this, when you found out something that will change your life forever, that she wishes more than ever that all of her family and friends could be with her.

She didn't know how to tell them, she was having so much trouble processing everything herself. If she wasn't about to go on the ride of her life she probably would have waited to tell them until much later, maybe until after this whole thing was taken care of, but she knew she couldn't. And honestly, she didn't want to, she needed them to know and be there with her.

"Everyone is here," she asks Ginny while they are standing in the kitchen of the Weasley house.

"Yeah, everyone is here. Harry even had Snape come, said that he needs to talk to people more." Ginny snorts, shaking her head. She has been having trouble with how Harry is being nice to Severus and trying to help him a bit. After how he treated them all in school Hermione understands it, but she has already forgiven Severus partly because she doesn't want to have any negativity going forward.

"Good. I need to talk to everyone."

"Is everything okay? You've seemed distracted recently."

"I know, it's kind of why I need to talk to everyone."

"Okay, just remember that we are all here for you, okay." Ginny smiles at her and Hermione feels tears begging to be released.

"Thank you. I'm really going to need you all." Ginny smiles before walking to the living room to join everyone else.

Hermione puts both hands on the counter in front of her and leans into them, hanging her head down and taking a few deep breaths. She knew this was going to be hard but part of her had hoped that it would be a lot easier than it was already turning out to be. Her main goal was to not start crying during the explaining. She needed some sort of goal to get her through this.

She stands up straight and brushes crumbs that aren't even there off of her shirt. She takes another shaky deep breath before walking into the living room.

"Everyone, I have an announcement," she calls out, getting everyone's attention.

"Of course dear," Mrs. Weasley says, smiling brightly at Hermione.

"I know that most of you have noticed that I have been distant lately, and I'm sorry about that. But I recently received some news that has been kind of distressing and I want you all to know what is going and what I am going to be dealing with going forward. Just, please don't freak out." Everyone looks around at each other and nods.

"Okay. I was diagnosed with stage 2 papillary thyroid cancer, which means that is has spread to other parts of my body, in my case it's in one of my lungs. It is very serious, and it was caught kind of. But with surgery and radiation and chemo, conisidering that I am only 23, I have an okay chance at surviving." She pauses, giving them a chance to process this information.

"Listen, I have researched it and talked to my doctor and with the right course of treatment I have a chance at being okay."

"What is the treatment," Ginny asks, surprise and shock evident in her voice. It almost makes Hermione break down right there, knowing that there will be so much pain for everyone.

"I have to have a thyroidectomy to try to get the tumor that that is in my thyroid and they will also try to get the tumor in my lung. After that I have to have chemo in hopes that it will make anything that they didn't get go away."

"So you are having a surgery," Harry asks. Hermione nods her head in confirmation.

"It's going to be hard on my body, both physically and mentally, so I really want you guys to be prepared for what I am going to be like. I'm not going to be me for a while, at least when the chemo starts."

"I'm so sorry Hermione," Ginny says, standing up and giving Hermione a hug. Soon everyone but Severus has hugged her and told her that they will do whatever they can to help her.

Later that evening she is in the grass outside of the Weasley house, not able to focus on the book she brought out with her. She can't stop thinking about how everyone reacted. They were all so kind and supportive, it was what she had hoped for but not what she expected at all. And then Mrs. Weasley insisted that they all stay for dinner which wouldn't be for hours since they had been here for brunch.

"Miss Granger without a book in her hand, that is a site." Hermione looks over her shoulder at her old professor. After somehow surviving all of the bites from Nagini, the two of them had formed some sort of friendship, all though neither was truly willing to admit that they were friends.

"Severus, care to join me? Sometimes sitting outside is better than sitting inside." He sits down on the ground next after a moment of hesitation. They are silent for a time, neither sure what to even say.

"I'm sorry. For what you are going through." Hermione is surprised when she hears him say this. She knew that Harry was helping him and with Voldemort dead he was able to be himself, but it was still a surprise to hear it.

"Thank you," she finally manages to say. "It's going to be a hard few months."

"I'm sure it will be. But you are strong Miss Granger, you will get through this." Hermione looks at him, a little shocked because that is the closest thing to a compliment he has ever given her.

"Thank you. I think your the only person who hasn't looked at me differently since finding out. The second I told them they had sympathy written all over them."

"It's to be expected I suppose."

"It is, it's just hard. I don't want to be treated like a sick person until I am really sick."

"Come to Hogwarts, people will treat you like a war hero and not a sick person." Hermione laughs, turning her head so she is actually looking at him.

"I may have to take you up on that sometime."

"You should talk to Minerva. She was wanting to talk to you actually."

"Really? I guess I will write her a letter then."

"Do that Miss Granger," he says starting to stand up.

"Hermione. I'm not a student anymore so you can call me Hermione."

"Then call me Severus."


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione stopped walking and stared at the sight in front of her. She had gone to Hogwarts for years, yet the sight of it still seemed to give her a sense of amazement. She was willing to admit this time that it could be partly because she was seeing for the first time since the war.

She continued making the trek to the castle. She had to not gone straight to the castle, stopping at Honeydukes for a treat before actially going to see the new headmistress.

Minerva has written to her saying that she had something to talk to Hermione about that she had been meaning to mention for some time now. Hermione, remembering what Severus had said, accepted the invitation to come back to the school. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this meeting, but she had really wanted to see Hogwarts once again.

As she walked down the halls to get to Minerva's office, she couldn't help but feel sadness. So many of her friends and people that she called family had died in these very halls. As happy as you were to see Hogwarts in one piece again, it was hard to look past the terrible things that happened here and remember all of the good.

But she shakes out of her thoughts and continues walking. With everything going on her life right, Hermione is trying very hard to just focus on the present. She doesn't know what the future will be like for her anymore, and the past is still painful to look back on.

"Hermione, dear, it's so good to see you," Minerva says when Hermione finally makes it to her office.

"It's good to see you too. It's been so long."

"It has been." Minerva comes around from her desk and gives Hermione a hug, something that surprises her. "Come, sit, there is something I need to talk to you about."

"I figured that was why you wanted to see me," Hermione replies with a smile.

"And Severus Snape also mentioned it."

"He did. And then the next day you sent me an owl. But what is it exactly that you are wanting to talk about anyways?"

"Yes, well, we have a teaching position open. I think you would be an amazing fit for it."

"A teaching position? Here?"

"Well yes, it would be here. I assumed that was obvious."

"For what position?"

"Mine. I've been trying to teach and be the headmistress, but it has become increasingly difficult."

"I don't know if right now is the best time for me to be taking on something like this."

"Because of the cancer. I assure you, we will do everything we can to accomidate you. When needed, I can still teach the class or Severus could even possibly do it. I understand that you are going to have treatments and be weaker than you normally would be."

Hermione wasn't suprised that Minerva knew about the cancer, everyone did. She and Ginny had gone out for a coffee and talked more about what Hermione would be going through. The next day it was all over the newspapers. The two girls had assumed that a reporter had been following them, it had happened before, people wanting to know what the 'goldren trio' were up to now that they didn't have to save the wizarding world from Voldemort.

"I don't know. The doctor said I shouldn't be taking on anything that big, stress wise. To help make the treLet meatments easier."

"Let me tell you more before you make your decision." Hermione nods her head slightly, signiling for Minerva to continue. "You would have two classes a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. You can decide how long they are, what you want to teach to an extent, what assingments they have, everything really. Which would give time inbetween classes, and most of the afternoon and evening to do whatever you want. You will be able to come and go as needed, any time of day with a fireplace in your chambers."

"That actually doesn't sound that bad," Hermione says, sounding more intrigued. "But you said to an extent. What did you mean by that?"

"They have to know certain things by the end of the year to pass their exams. But how you teach it, when you teach, how long you teach it, if you add more to the classes, that is all up to you."

"Hmm," Hermione hums, leaning back in the chair and tapping the armrest of the chair lightly, something that she had started doing recently. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course dear. I can give you four days but then I must know so I can find someone else if you aren't able to."

"Alright. I will let you know before the four days are up."

"While your here, feel free to wander the halls. We made some changes when we rebuilt." Hermione stands from her chair, smiling kindly at Minerva.

"I might just have to now. Thank you."

"Of course dear." Minerva puts on her specticles as Hermione makes her way out of the room, looking at her over the top of them, a habit she picked up on from Albus.

Sorry for the one update and notheing for a crazy amount of time and then a really short chapter. I'm a freshman in college, and classes are really kicking my butt this term. So sorry!


End file.
